The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-09-24

onl The natives take little account Of
time, they paddle along the coast for thou
sands of miles on the most trivial of errands,
the question as to where they stay or sleep
apparently being of small consequence.
The fish supply here is seemingly mex
haustible. Salmon appear in solid schools
six and eight feet deep. The Stricken
River back of Fort Wrangel and the out
lets of some of the inland waters to the salt
water are at certain seasons actually choked
with squirming salmon, causing them ID
their eagerness to pass through to crowd
each other above the surface of the water,
thus creating for the time solid bank OF
fish. Smaller fish are also to be found IN
surprising quantities. Herrings warm IN u,
the channels. The candle fish, a small
fish about six inches long, which is delicl-
GUS eating, can be caught by the million.
A pailful can be. had from a native for the
merest triae. A host of other varieties
abound until the lover Of fishing here tres
of the sport.
Leaving Fort Wrangel, we continue our
Journey northward, the scenery increasing in
its beauty. The timbered shores, to which
we had by this time become so accustomed,
do not grow monotonous, but rather seem
to increase in grandeur The endless bril-
liant green of these mountainous islands,
kept verdant by the almost continuous rains
lend a peculiar charm. Our vessel steams
through channels so narrow at times that
the rushing waters seem to bear us onward
without any effort on our part The entire
country through which we wind our way
is so abundantly timbered that one feels al
most bold enough to assert that no such
wooded region exists elsewhere on the
globe; from the highest mountain peaks to
the waters edge great mammoth trees
stand like compact army.
Early morning found US approaching
Juneau, opposite Douglas Island. The
boom of our little cannon, echoing all
around us through the mountains, awakens
the inhabitants who stand idly staring at
us, as we throw ashore our cable. Here
are located the great mines and large
stamp mill. A few stores and the resi-
dences of the mill-owner and miners COM
plete the place The usual modes of
amusement common in all mining camps
are resorted to-gambling, drinking and
its accompaniments. During the night the
dance houses are alive. At the most prom
inent one, the owner and fiddler, who acts
in the capacity of orchestra and general
manager, informed us that he came to
Alaska Intending to give his attention to
missionary work, but, finding good open
ing to coin money in this Vine of business,
he could not make up his mind to leave it.
Indian girls to the number of twenty-five
to thirty, ranging in age from twelve to
sixteen years, were the bait to attract GUS
toners, and well they served their purpose.
White men largely outnumbered the Indi-
ans, the latter being rather shy about dis
playing their teFpsichoreaH powers; After
each Of the dances chewing gum and apples
arc presented to the girls, while the men
drink Hhooohinoo, drink distilled by the
Indians, made from moasses or sugar,
with -four, potatoes, and yeast, altogether
the vilest and most powerful of spirits.
At midnight we were present at kind
of ''wake" over the daughter of an Indian
chief, who had suddenly died and was to
be cremated the following day. Clad in
high top boots, each person carrying a
lantern, we tramped over painless bit of
country some distance back from the shore
throug a muddy, slimy soil. Some time
before we reached the spot the groans and
shrieks of the mourners could be heard
Arriving at the chiefs hut, our guide first
crawls in, crouching low, and disappears.
Soon emerging, he leads us in single file
through the opening, only two feet high,
A weird sight presents itself. In the Gen.
tire is a fire of loose logs and brush; the
smoke, after filling the hut as well as the
lungs of the occupants, passes out through
hole in the roof Seated around the fire
on the ground are the wives and relatives
of the chief. At the further end, on
kind of bed, lie the remains of the chief S
pretty daughter, girl of eighteen. Her
black hair lay loosely over the pillow, a
tiny red handkerchief encircled her pretty
throat; deer skin was laid over her body,
and over it her exquisitely moulded arms
were gracefully crossed; at the head and
foot of the body pine knot was burning,
sending flashes of light over the scene
The chief stood at her head. A huge fel-
low with hard, villainous countenance en-
braced us warmly. much to our discomfort.
After this ceremony we all squatted about
the fire, enlarging the circle of mourners,
and fell In with the general ehorqs as best
we could.
Our next objective point is Chilcat, in
latitude 59' 13, being nearly the same
latitude as Cape Farewell, at the southern
extremity of Greenland. Bundled in our
warmest clothes, we were on deck to well
come the rising sun, sight of rare beauty
at this high latitude. The morning star
stood oyer the tops of the mountains, grow
ing fainter and fainter, proclaiming in her
silent way that the gates of day were un-
closing. The rainy mists of the morning
rolled away, and quickly the scene of a
moment ago changed to one of rare beauty.
The morning was superb. The blue waves
danced and sparkled in thesunlight; fresh,
cold breeze blew from the north, and our
little vessel, seemingly inspired with the
gorgeous scene, ploughed her way right
merrily through the clear waters. Chilcat
is of small interest 1t is inhabited by the
Chilcat Indians, small tribe. 4 few
miserable dwellings are scattered along the
shore An establishment is located there
in which they extract oil from herring,
which are found in the waters near at
hand in countless numbers. Steamers
rarely penetrate further north in the inland
waters than this place 1t is about two
hundred miles in direct line from Mount
st. Elias, which rears its head 19,500 feet
above sea level.
We took on board at this place two pros
pectors, who had just arrived from the
Yukon region, after an absence of two
years. Almost every yestige of clothing
with which they had started had gone the
way of a material things, and from their
feet up they were clad in skins, reminding
one much of the pictures of Robinson Cru
soe Besides venison and fowl, they had
subsisted largely on berries, crab-apples
and fish. In their wanderings, as they in
formed us, they discovered that the Indian